Barker Leads Tide to Big Road Win

Road wins are hard to come by in SEC basketball, be it the men's or women's side.

Get our free mobile app

The Alabama women’s basketball team’s Sarah Ashlee Barker and Karly Weathers led the team to an 86-70 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks by shooting over 60 percent from deep on Thursday Night in Bud Walton Arena.

Alabama (17-6, 4-4 SEC) survived a late game 12-0 Razorback run when the Hogs cut the Tide’s lead to single digits for the first time since the second quarter.

But, as it was when her dad quarterbacked UA, it was Barker to the rescue. She  stole the momentum back with back-to-back layups extending UA’s lead to 14 to end the game with a 16-point victory inside Bud Walton Arena.

Coach Kristi Curry's Crimson Tide had five players score in double figures including Barker (25), Karly Weathers (16), Aaliyah Nye (15), Essence Cody (12) and Jessica Timmons (12). Barker and Weathers collected double-doubles, including a first career double-double for Weathers. The Tide outrebounded the Razorbacks by 14 (46-32) which included 12 offensive rebounds.

Curry said, “A gritty win on the road, in a tough environment. The box score is very similar to what they (Arkansas) took from us in Tuscaloosa. We felt like if we could sure up some areas, protect the paint better, make sure we kept them off the free throw line and rebound the ball better.

"It's just very similar to you know, what’s on the good side for us tonight. So, it's just a credit to our kids and the toughness and the grit. I'm so proud for them and proud of them and their effort tonight.”

Arkansas (16-7, 4-4 SEC) had five players score in double figures, led by Saylor Poffenbarger scoring 23 points and collecting 11 rebounds.

Next comes another road test, albeit a winnable one:  Alabama travels to Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 5, taking on Vanderbilt inside the historic Memorial Gymnasium. The Crimson Tide will face the Commodores at 6 p.m. CT with the contest airing on the SEC Network and Catfish 100.1 FM.